Parks & Conservation

Wellfleet’s natural beauty wouldn’t exist without the efforts of so many people who’ve worked for years to protect its beautiful but delicate ecosystem. The result is that about 70% of the town is now preserved as open space. And the great majority of it is open and available for anyone to explore and enjoy.

About half of Wellfleet is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, which was established in 1961. This national park – 44,000 acres in all – includes a 40-mile stretch of open beach from Chatham to Provincetown, along with forests, salt marshes, sand dunes, freshwater ponds, bogs, and more.

Wellfleet is also home to one of the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s loveliest properties, the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary has 1,100 acres, and five miles of trails that take you through rare heath land, as well as salt marshes, beaches, pine woods, and ponds. Bird watchers know it as a great place to spot songbirds and shorebirds. The Sanctuary’s Nature Center is also a work of conservation, recognized for its energy-saving measures.

Wellfleet’s citizens have also protected hundreds of acres from future development. Local residents serve as members of the Town of Wellfleet’s Open Space Committee and its Conservation Commission. Both the Town of Wellfleet and the private nonprofit Wellfleet Conservation Trust own open space. In many cases the Town and Wellfleet Conservation Trust have worked together with private landowners to create a network of adjoining properties, like the Fox Island Marsh and Pilgrim Spring Woodlands Conservation Area.

Use these properties lightly, as if they were your own, and help us – and future generations -- continue enjoying this special place.

Cape Cod National Seashore

The Cape Cod National Seashore President John F. Kennedy signed a bill on August 7, 1961 creating the Cape Cod National Seashore. Portions of land from the towns of Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown now make up the 27,700 acre National Park. Preserved in its natural state the Seashore offers visitors approximately 30 miles of the finest pristine coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.

Conservation Areas

Open to All to Enjoy and Protect

Wellfleet’s natural beauty wouldn’t exist without the efforts of so many people who’ve worked for years to protect its beautiful but delicate ecosystem. The result is that about 70% of the town is now preserved as open space. And the great majority of it is open and available for anyone to explore and enjoy.

About half of Wellfleet is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, which was established in 1961. This national park – 44,000 acres in all – includes a 40-mile stretch of open beach from Chatham to Provincetown, along with forests, salt marshes, sand dunes, freshwater ponds, bogs, and more.

Wellfleet is also home to one of the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s loveliest properties, the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary has 1,100 acres, and five miles of trails that take you through rare heath land, as well as salt marshes, beaches, pine woods, and ponds. Bird watchers know it as a great place to spot songbirds and shorebirds. The Sanctuary’s Nature Center is also a work of conservation, recognized for its energy-saving measures.

Wellfleet’s citizens have also protected hundreds of acres from future development. Local residents serve as members of the Town of Wellfleet’s Open Space Committee and its Conservation Commission. Both the Town of Wellfleet and the private nonprofit Wellfleet Conservation Trust own open space. In many cases the Town and Wellfleet Conservation Trust have worked together with private landowners to create a network of adjoining properties, like the Fox Island Marsh and Pilgrim Spring Woodlands Conservation Area.

Use these properties lightly, as if they were your own, and help us – and future generations -- continue enjoying this special place.

Top Photo: Dennis Cunningham

Bottom photos: Dennis O'Connell

Massachusets Audonbon

Wellfleet Bay’s 1,100 acres of salt marsh, sandy beach, pine woodland, freshwater pond, and rare heathland attract a wide array of wildlife, especially songbirds and shorebirds. Discover the true nature of Cape Cod as you amble along the five miles of trails that traverse these habitats.

Town of Wellfleet Conservation Areas

under construction

Town Parks and Recreation Areas

Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary/Audubon

The Massachusetts Audubon Society's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary offers a variety of walks, boating trips, workshops, classes, and other programs throughout the year for both kids and adults. These take place both on the sanctuary property, and through field trips to other locations around Cape Cod.

Wellfleet Conservation Trust

The Wellfleet Conservation Trust is a lead entity in Town and an active participant in conservation initiatives. The Trust has 127 holdings, 96 of which are fee-owned and the remaining 31 in conservation restrictions. In total slightly over 343 acres are protected, two-thirds of which are wetland. The largest parcel is 22 acres and smallest 0.02 acres.